An electric motor, or motor, includes a rotor, electrical windings, and a stator. Application of electrical energy to the electrical windings causes the rotor to rotate within the stator. The electrical windings can be part of the rotor, the stator, or both. If the motor only has electrical windings in the rotor or the stator, it is permanent magnet motor, and includes a permanent magnet that reacts to the flow of current through the electrical windings to cause the rotor to rotate.
In the permanent magnet motor the rotor and the stator magnetically attract each other which makes assembly of the motor difficult, particularly if the motor is large. If the rotor is permitted to become magnetically attached to the stator while one end of the rotor is inside the stator, it is difficult to separate them. Pulling the rotor out of the stator may damage the stator or the rotor or both. Gravity may cause similar problems and thus similar damage may result during assembly of electric motors that are not permanent magnet motors. Accordingly, there is a need for improved electric motors and improved methods of assembling electric motors.